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Big Oil is a Big Bully

(Photo of decal posted on my bulletin board. I thought it appropriate for today’s message)

Our Canadian neighbors are in a showdown with Kinder Morgan and they could use our help.

Remember Kinder Morgan? It’s the biggest pipeline company in the US and it wants to build another pipeline in Canada. This time it will be 3x bigger so it can get the Alberta Tar Sands bitumen to a port in Vancouver BC, put it on tankers that will travel through our waters, and ship it out to the world markets.

Before Kinder Morgan can build their pipeline, they need a permit from the Canadian government. To determine if a permit will be issued, Canada’s National Energy Board (NEB) is hearing from the public (but only from a “chosen few”. Fortunately, islanders — including our County Council — get to have a say. The deadline is March 16, 2015).

Apparently Kinder Morgan doesn’t think it needs to wait. In their big bully arrogance, they insist on doing exploratory surveying right now, and one of these survey spots is on public lands, Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. The Burnaby City Council said, “Leave our park lands alone”, but Kinder Morgan appealed and the NEB said, “Go ahead.”

Understandably, Burnaby citizens are not happy about this, so when Kinder Morgan trucks and equipment came in to do their survey (which included cutting down trees), the people exercised their rights and used the means they have left — civil disobedience. They spoke out, they blocked the roadways, and they used their bodies to stop the trucks. Kinder Morgan didn’t like that, so they asked for an injunction against any citizens getting in the way of their survey, and served papers to four individuals and a citizens activist group, claiming “millions in lost revenue for each month the pipeline project is delayed”.

Let’s support our Canadian neighbors who are fighting the fight for us!

If they can stop this pipeline, then we islanders and our Salish Sea won’t have to suffer the risks that come with the 408 more oil tankers a year that this pipeline would bring; and the planet will not have to suffer from the additional CO2 that burning this oil would produce.

Here’s how we can help:

Donate to the legal defense fund for the four defendants: Stephen, Adam, Mia and Lynne.
The court hearings run today through Friday.http://www.gofundme.com/gkxn9o